Regulatory status
FAA IASA: Category 1 — meets ICAO standards — as of 18 Apr 2025
Full regulatory status →Quick facts
- Airports
- 19
- Scheduled routes
- 299
- Top airlines
- 10
- Outbound countries
- 8+
- Most-competitive route
- CPT → JNB · 6 carriers
Top airports in South Africa
| # | Airport | IATA | Routes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | JNB | 144 | Departures → |
| 2 | Cape Town | CPT | 65 | Departures → |
| 3 | Durban | DUR | 22 | Departures → |
| 4 | Nelspruit | MQP | 10 | Departures → |
| 5 | Port Elizabeth | PLZ | 10 | Departures → |
| 6 | George | GRJ | 9 | Departures → |
| 7 | Bloemfontein | BFN | 7 | Departures → |
| 8 | East London | ELS | 6 | Departures → |
| 9 | Hoedspruit | HDS | 6 | Departures → |
| 10 | Lanseria | HLA | 5 | Departures → |
Top airlines based in South Africa
| # | Airline | IATA | Routes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airlink | 4Z | 97 | Network → |
| 2 | Safair | FA | 46 | Network → |
| 3 | CemAir | 5Z | 41 | Network → |
| 4 | South African Airways | SA | 21 | Network → |
| 5 | Ethiopian Airlines | ET | 6 | Network → |
| 6 | LIFT | GE | 6 | Network → |
| 7 | Eswatini Air | RN | 5 | Network → |
| 8 | Turkish Airlines | TK | 5 | Network → |
| 9 | Fastjet Zimbabwe | FN | 4 | Network → |
| 10 | Kenya Airways | KQ | 4 | Network → |
Most-competitive routes from South Africa
Most-served international destinations
- Harare (HRE) · Zimbabwe — 6 carriers
- Victoria Falls (VFA) · Zimbabwe — 6 carriers
- Lusaka (LUN) · Zambia — 6 carriers
- Mauritius (MRU) · Mauritius — 4 carriers
- Maputo (MPM) · Mozambique — 4 carriers
- Gaborone (GBE) · Botswana — 3 carriers
- Dar Es Salaam (DAR) · United Republic of Tanzania — 3 carriers
- Livingstone (LVI) · Zambia — 3 carriers
Aviation accidents in South Africa
- 2026-09-09 — CESSNA 172
- 2026-09-08 — PIPER PA28
- 2026-08-03 — Piper; PA28-140 Cherokee
- 2026-07-23 — Bell B206
- 2026-07-23 — Cirrus SR22
- 2026-07-23 — BELL 206
- 2026-07-21 — Piper; PA28-180 Cherokee
- 2026-07-03 — Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee
- 2026-06-27 — Piper PA 28-180 — 2 fatal
- 2026-06-27 — Sling 2 and Cessna 210
- 2026-06-27 — PIPER PA28 — 2 fatal
- 2026-06-24 — Pitts; S-1S
- 2026-06-23 — Piper; PA-28-180
- 2026-06-20 — Jabiru; J430
- 2026-06-13 — TL Ultralite 2000 Sting RG
- 2026-06-07 — Cessna; 150F
- 2026-06-06 — Sling 2
- 2026-05-27 — Cessna 172M
- 2026-05-27 — Bushbaby
- 2026-05-23 — 1 fatal
Where South Africa flies to
- Zimbabwe — 20 routes to 3 airports
- Mozambique — 12 routes to 7 airports
- Botswana — 11 routes to 3 airports
- Zambia — 11 routes to 3 airports
- United Republic of Tanzania — 8 routes to 2 airports
- Germany — 6 routes to 2 airports
- Mauritius — 6 routes to 1 airport
- Namibia — 6 routes to 2 airports
Frequently asked questions
How many airports are in South Africa?
South Africa has 19 airports in our dataset.
How many non-stop routes originate in South Africa?
South Africa has 299 routes departing from its airports in our weekly dataset.
Which airlines operate most routes from South Africa?
Top operators by route count: Airlink, Safair, CemAir, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines.
Which is the busiest airport in South Africa?
By scheduled-route count, Johannesburg (JNB) is the busiest airport in South Africa with 144 routes departing.
What is the most-connected international destination from South Africa?
Harare (HRE), Zimbabwe sees the most competition with 6 carriers serving it from South Africa.
Which countries do South Africa-based airlines fly to most?
Top outbound countries: Zimbabwe (20 routes), Mozambique (12 routes), Botswana (11 routes), Zambia (11 routes), United Republic of Tanzania (8 routes).